War and pilgrimage: should Hasidim wait in Uman this year?

We from Ukraine Hasidism ("Hasid" means "pious, righteous") is the mystical religious direction of the Jewish religion, started in the 1930s in the 18th century in Podillya, in the Jewish poverty environment. The pious Rabbi Nakhman commanded his grave to the Jewish New Year (Rosh Ha-Shan). The essence of Hasidism is the idea that the whole earth is filled with God. Accordingly, the actions and words of a person have a significant impact on reality.

Most of all, a prayer is in heaven, which is the liberation of man from material shackles and promotes a merger with God. The role of the most important mediator in this process is played by the Tzadik (the spiritual leader of the group of religious Jews), which saves the souls of Jews on earth. Tzadik was not just a descendant of the hereditary title of Baal Shev, he was a spiritual judge and mentor of the Jewish community.

In 2020, despite the ban on entry for foreigners due to the spread of coronavirus, pilgrims tried in any way to get to Ukraine. Because of this, a crowd of indignant pilgrims, who were not allowed to the country, was sought at the borders of Ukraine. However, despite the ban and control of the state, about 3-5 thousand pilgrims came to Uman.

In 2021, the arrival of Jewish pilgrims in Uman took place against the backdrop of a new wave of Covid-19 distribution, as well as against the background of strengthening restrictions in Israel itself, which is associated with the spread of Delta strain. Nevertheless, the state allowed them to come to a holy place, which received almost 28,000 believers.

Over the past three years, many establishments in Uman have been closed, and their owners have received huge financial losses due to the actual lack of pilgrims, initially through coronavirus, and now because of the war. The Israel Foreign Ministry in July urged citizens not to visit Uman to celebrate Rosh Ha-Shan because of the threat of rocket strikes of the Russian Federation. Of course, this did not stop and stop some of the believers. Kyiv also did not waste time with bans.

Since June, rumors have spread that pilgrims will not let in the country at all because of the aforementioned threats. Subsequently, Uman banned mass events and restricted access to pilgrimage sites to celebrate Rosh Ha-Shan to avoid possible provocations of the Russian Federation with the participation of Hasidim. This was stated by the chairman of the Cherkasy Ova Igor Storerets. He also stressed that security measures would be strengthened.

What kind of security measures, the Table did not write, but in early August it became known what was discussed. The Security Service of Ukraine stated that they have already taken up this issue. In particular, they held a number of anti-terrorist events on the eve of the annual celebration of Rosh Ha-Shan and the arrival of a large number of pilgrims. According to the SBU representatives, all actions are aimed at enhancing safety and working out rapid response to possible threats.

It was also reported that the SBU conducted a comprehensive training in the territory of the unfinished facility at the historical and cultural center. Rabbi Nakhman - to check the security of pilgrimage. Already, despite the prohibitions of Israeli and Ukrainian authorities, several thousand Hasidims have arrived in Uman. Most of them came from different parts of Ukraine, but there are those who have overcome thousands of kilometers from other countries.